The most comprehensive online source of conservation news and events in Maine and beyond, edited by Jym St. Pierre
Thank you for reading Maine Environmental News. Each year, we post thousands of news summaries, notices, and links related to important environmental issues from across the state (and beyond). If you find this service useful, you can help us continue to provide it by making a donation. Just click on the button below and contribute whatever you can afford. Thanks again for your generous support!
Sincerely,
Jym St. Pierre
Editor, Maine Environmental News
MAINE PUBLIC • September 15, 2025
Northern New England's hydro dams are struggling to generate power because of drought conditions. Regional Grid operator ISO-New England spokesperson Mary Kate Colapietro said environmental conditions can affect electricity production. "That could be a variety of factors, from things like the weather, if there are say drought conditions that could perhaps impact what generators are making decisions on," Colapietro said. But there might be other reasons dam owners could also be holding back from bidding to sell energy into the grid, Colapietro added.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 15, 2025
My family is standing up for the right to keep chickens and provide our family healthy protein. We hope that our challenge to our city’s ordinance will ensure that the right to food isn’t chipped away to nothing with heavy-handed rules. We started raising chickens after close friends left for another state and gave us their birds. It turned out to be a life-changing decision. Today, we keep 19 chickens and every day they give us fresh eggs and occasionally we cull a bird for meat. We’re now suing Calais. We love Calais. We didn’t rush to file a lawsuit. For months, we worked with city officials to see whether there might be a variance or exemption that would let us keep our chickens. But the answer was no. We believe the right to food is too important to leave hanging. ~ Kamiwan Oliver, Calais
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 13, 2025
Just a short two years ago, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) proved that tackling climate change and growing the economy are not mutually exclusive. The law unleashed a clean energy boom nationwide, creating thousands of good-paying union jobs, lowering household energy costs, and giving communities the tools to protect themselves from extreme weather. Now, Congress is working to undo that progress. Lawmakers passed, and President Donald Trump signed, the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill.” More like the “Big Ugly Bill,” instead of lowering costs like clean energy does, this bill drives them up. It’s nothing more than a Republican rate hike on everyday people. This legislation guts the very programs that made the IRA such a success. The result will be higher home energy bills, lost jobs, and weaker competitiveness for Maine businesses, all while handing out tax breaks to billionaires and polluting oil and gas companies. ~ Nicholas Janzen, Maine Conservation Voters, and Francis Eanes, Maine Labor Climate Council
MAINE MONITOR • September 12, 2025
Forest carbon credits are gaining traction in Maine. Yet as the voluntary carbon market picks up, some in the industry are worried about access for small family forest landowners with fewer resources than corporations who manage bigger plots of land. In order to participate in the market where carbon credits are bought and sold, a forest landowner first needs to understand exactly how much carbon their trees are capable of storing. The market hinges on precise carbon sequestration calculations.
MAINE PUBLIC • September 12, 2025
The Brunswick executive airport will eliminate toxic PFAS chemicals from fire suppression systems under a federal settlement to resolve violations from a massive firefighting foam spill last year. In an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority will file a plan by the end of the year to cleanse or replace fire suppression systems in its aircraft hangers. MRRA Executive Director Dan Stevenson said that all the Aqueous Film Forming Foam previously used to smother fires has been removed from the airport. The foam is laden with PFAS chemicals that have been linked to health effects such as low birth weight and certain cancers. The agency is considering options to eliminate foam remnants in equipment at the former U.S. Navy Base.
MAINE PUBLIC • September 12, 2025
While some parts of Maine saw rain over the weekend, drought conditions are still in effect. They're affecting all types of crops — from apples to potatoes to wild blueberries. But the biggest challenge may be for farmers who grow hay to feed their livestock. Young cows rest in the shade at Milkhouse Farms in Monmouth on Sept. 8, 2025. In typical summer, inland Maine sees between 6 and 12 inches of rain. The coastal areas see about 6-10 inches. This year, all regions, with exception to some of Aroostook County, saw less than half of normal rainfall. Average temperatures were about two degrees higher too, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. These combined factors put Maine in what experts call a flash drought.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 15, 2025
The South Portland Water Resource Protection department determined that the source of the bacteria enterococcus at Willard Beach is human, not canine. This finding, shared in a presentation before the City Council, indicates that the water quality issues at Willard Beach are likely the result of sewage leaking into stormwater rather than dog waste, according to Tracy Krueger, with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 11, 2025
Baxter State Park is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the individual or individuals who carved initials into the sign at the summit of Mount Katahdin. Park officials reported the “act of vandalism” in a social media post Thursday. The letters “H.M.” and “J.M” were carved into the middle of the Baxter Peak sign on Katahdin, which marks the 5,268-foot summit of Baxter Peak and the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. According to photos posted by summiters in a Baxter State Park Facebook group, the initials were carved into the sign on or before Aug. 28.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 11, 2025
Migrations are now tracked with powerful tools at our fingertips: The BirdCast Migration Dashboard uses radar to show in real time how many birds are flying overhead at night. eBird bar charts give a detailed record of when specific species usually depart, drawn from thousands of Maine birders submitting their sightings. The Motus Wildlife Tracking Network, supported locally by Maine Audubon, adds another layer — following individual radio-tagged birds across the continent. And the Bird Migration Explorer connects the dots between Maine birds and their wintering grounds in Central and South America. Together, these resources give us a clearer picture of when our birds come and go. Yet even with all the data, bird migration remains deeply personal. Perhaps the secret is to notice both ends of the migration journey — the joy of first arrivals and the bittersweet silence of final departures. ~ Bob Duchesne
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 11, 2025
You want to know why Canadians aren’t visiting Maine anymore? We’re done pretending that what’s happening south of our border is just politics. That we can separate “friendly neighbors” from the hostile rhetorWe’re not interested in being recruited, absorbed, or “saved.” We’re proud of our country.ic coming out of your leadership. When your president brags about taking over Canada by sabotaging our economy, that’s not just tough talk — it’s economic aggression. And then came the letter. A smug, condescending invitation from one of your own state senators, Joseph Martin, R-Rumford. He mocked our bilingualism, dismissed our parliamentary democracy, and treated our national identity like a failed experiment. We’re angry. We’re insulted. And we’re staying home. ~ Nicola Stefaniuk, Toronto, Ontario
MAINE PUBLIC • September 10, 2025
Paul and Kamiwan Oliver live with their three kids in a single-story home on about a quarter acre of land in the city of Calais. The family has a flock of 19 hens they raise for eggs and meat. The chickens live in a coop on the side of the house made out of a repurposed shed. Kamiwan said it's the family's "attempt to have a small amount of responsibility" in sourcing their own food. But in June of 2024, Calais passed an ordinance on domestic livestock that restricts what chicken coops are built out of, where they're positioned and the number of chickens a household can own. The Olivers say it's effectively a ban on backyard chickens. They filed a lawsuit in Washington County this week that alleges the ordinance violates the "Right to Food" amendment of the Maine Constitution that was ratified in 2021.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 10, 2025
For more than a week, rumors have been circulating among Belfast residents that a major waterfront business, Front Street Shipyard, could be sold. The possibility of new owners taking over it and other nearby properties has renewed longstanding questions about the public’s right to access the shoreline in the midcoast city. Could any new owners of those private properties revoke the public’s access to the waterfront Belfast walking path? They likely could not, according to public records and a longtime former local official. That’s because the city has worked to secure permanent agreements guaranteeing the public’s ability to walk along designated sections of those private properties.
MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • September 10, 2025
Retired Allagash Wilderness Waterway Supervisor Tim Caverly talks about the creation of the AWW as a Wild and Scenic River. Hear of threats to the wild, including multiple vehicle access points, escalations of human development, limited rule enforcement. Learn measures to monitor wilderness character, and require the Maine Bureau of Parks & Lands to administer the area for ‘Maximum Wilderness Character’ as required by law. At Curtis Library, Brunswick, September 10, 6 pm.
MAINE PUBLIC • September 10, 2025
The Maine Supreme Judicial Court heard arguments Wednesday in a dispute about property rights and beach access at Popham Beach in Phippsburg. The appeal was brought by Richard Tappen, who owns a beachfront cottage, and purchased a parcel of land that cuts in front of his long-time neighbor Clark Hill. Tappen then sued Hill for trespassing. A lower court ruled that there was an implied easement that gave Hill the right to access the beach. Tappen's attorney, Glenn Israel, asked Maine justices to reverse that decision. In Maine, private property rights extend to the low tide line. Public access is only allowed for 'fishing, fowling, and navigation.'
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 10, 2025
The Trump administration is making a serious mistake by cutting many of the agencies voters rate most highly, including the National Weather Service, the National Park Service, the Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Postal Service. It would be a novelty to organize a campaign around government services that people actually want and trust, but it has to be worth trying. ~ Douglas Rooks
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 10, 2025
Forest covers about 89% of Maine’s land area, comprising an estimated 17.5 million acres. Maine boasts the highest percentage of forest coverage of any U.S. state. Nearly 92% of Maine forest is privately owned. State and local governments own just under 7%, and the remaining 1.4% is federally owned. Despite a slight decline in the number of trees since 2016, the overall volume of live trees in Maine has grown, reaching 27.7 billion cubic feet in 2021, according to a survey by the U.S. Forest Service. Annual harvests have decreased and tree mortality has risen, but more than a billion cubic feet of live tree volume is added to Maine’s forests annually. Each year, about 9,500 non-forest acres in Maine revert to forest, while 20,000 acres of forest are lost — an annual net loss of 10,500 acres.
MAINE MORNING STAR • September 10, 2025
If you have enjoyed a hike to a summit in the Green or White Mountains, there’s a good chance that a U.S. Forest Service “Inventoried Roadless Area” is to thank. But on Aug. 29, the Trump administration put New England’s irreplaceable roadless areas in its crosshairs for logging and development by announcing its intent to rescind the “Roadless Rule.” More than one-fifth of the White and Green Mountain National Forests are at risk. America can’t afford to lose its roadless areas. For an administration that has made big claims about improving government efficiency, rescinding the Roadless Rule may be among its most foolish stunts yet. The Forest Service has a $10.8 billion road maintenance backlog on its 370,000-mile road network. Only 3.3% of New England is protected from timber harvest and road construction, but scientists broadly agree we must protect at least 10% of the region for the benefit of biodiversity, the climate, and the well-being of our communities. Rescinding the Roadless Rule would set our region back, making our conservation goals harder to achieve than ever. ~ Zack Porter, Standing Trees
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 10, 2025
For the last century, birders have relied on books to increase their knowledge and improve their field identification skills. Smartphones and the internet are rapidly changing that. It’s a tough adjustment. I appreciate apps like Merlin, eBird and iNaturalist, but I still prefer to make my own mistakes rather than let AI do the work. Nonetheless, modern technology has its advantages. I have David Sibley’s “Birds of North America” downloaded on my smartphone. I routinely look up birds online at AllAboutBirds.org. I recently enjoyed a superb webinar through the Cornell Lab on confusing fall warbler identification. I started a YouTube channel because birds give off more ID clues than AI can reliably process. I’ve posted about 130 videos so far. My channel is approaching a million views and 14,000 subscribers. Ultimately, my message is always this: birding is easier, more fun and more accessible than you think. ~ Bob Duchesne
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September x, 2025
Carey Kish, a hardcore hiker from Bar Harbor, just completed the 2,700-mile Continental Divide Trail from Mexico to Canada. Kish, who is well past his youth, spent six months walking alone through some of the wildest, loneliest, most rugged terrain in the lower 48. His feat proves that, aside from sore feet and relentless leg cramps, he has mastered the test of emotional endurance. So let’s share in the wonder and inspiration of the Carey Kishes of this world, who remind us of what is possible when passion and perseverance carry us forward.
